Noble of the Night: Blood Oath

Chapter 15

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but Clyce quickly regained his composure. "Which time are you referring to?" he asked, leaning back casually. "I've saved you twice in London."

"No, not in London," Isabella replied, her gaze unwavering. "It was back over a decade ago. You saved me once then, and that’s when you turned me into a vampire."

Seeing the flicker of recognition in Clyce’s eyes confirmed Isabella’s suspicion—he had indeed been the one to save her. Surprisingly, she didn’t hold any grudge for being turned into a vampire. In fact, she was grateful. If becoming a vampire was the only way to survive, especially as a near-perfect one, she would have made the same choice.

Clyce paused, realizing that Howard must have told her. "Yes, I saved you," he admitted. Her life now belonged to him, his bride won back from the grasp of death through the dangerous "blood ritual."

"Why did you save me?" Isabella asked, unable to suppress her curiosity. She knew how risky the "blood ritual" was and wondered why he had taken that risk for her.

Clyce’s lips curled into a charming, bewitching smile. He lifted her chin gently, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"I’ll tell you, but only for a kiss," he said, his emerald eyes gleaming with a hypnotic allure, drawing her in like a deep, magical pool.

Isabella’s face flushed with anger. "You... what did you just say?"

She had imagined countless scenarios—maybe he’d deny saving her, or perhaps he’d ignore her question altogether—but she had never anticipated this. He admitted it easily, then casually demanded a kiss in exchange for an explanation.

"What’s wrong? Don’t want to agree?" Clyce’s voice was full of playful mockery, his smirk still annoyingly present.

He’s trying to take advantage of me! Isabella thought, gritting her teeth. She wanted to know the truth, but the price he was asking was outrageous—especially for something as simple as a kiss.

"I’m going back to my room," she said firmly, trying to break free from his grasp before he could make any more unreasonable demands.

Clyce let her go, but not before quickly leaning down and giving her a playful bite on her earlobe.

"You..." Isabella rushed to the door, her face bright red. She shot him an angry glare. "Stop trying to take advantage of me!"

Grabbing the doorknob, she fled from the room, despite knowing that running away so quickly lacked dignity. She couldn’t help it; being around him made her heart race and her face flush. She had walked right into the lion's den.

"I’ll be waiting. That offer stands, and so does my answer," Clyce called after her, his deep, confident voice dripping with arrogance. He knew she’d come back for the answer eventually, and he’d be waiting for that kiss.

Isabella halted mid-step, throwing him one last defiant look.

The nerve of him! He’s so full of himself! Did he really think she would come crawling back to beg for answers?

"I won’t come back for your answer," she shouted angrily before bolting from the room.

"You will," Clyce said softly, his lips curving into a self-assured smile as she disappeared from view.

It seemed he hadn’t misjudged all those years ago. The bride he had won from death, this rebellious girl, was everything he had hoped for. She was his.

His bright silver eyes replaced the usual green, and his self-satisfied smile lingered. She belonged to him.

---

Carrying a surprisingly light backpack, Isabella leisurely strolled through the streets.

The sky was a vibrant blue, the clouds pure and white—it was a perfect day. Since she didn’t want to return to face Clyce just yet, she decided to enjoy her time wandering around town.

With each step, Isabella felt her spirits lift.

She had been evading Clyce for days, living in constant fear. He seemed to have noticed her avoidance, and his mood had soured. Howard had also been giving her a hard time, his face perpetually dour, as if blaming her for everything.

In truth, she couldn’t really blame herself for wanting to avoid Clyce. She simply wasn’t used to being so close to others. When he abruptly invaded her personal space, her natural instinct had been to run.

But what about all the questions still left unanswered? She was desperate to know the full story, yet she couldn’t bear to let him take advantage of her. Still, there was something odd about Clyce. With his looks and charm, he could have had any woman he wanted—so why had he fixated on her, a mere high school girl?

"Hey, how come you're still wandering the streets alone after school? Time is precious for a senior, yet here you are, wasting it like you’ve got all the time in the world," a sharp, mocking voice called from behind her.

Who is it now? Isabella’s brow furrowed, an unsettling feeling rising in her chest. She turned to see who had called out.

There stood Aurora, dressed in a casual light blue outfit, cradling a tiny Chihuahua in her arms.

Oh no, not her again… Why did she have to run into Aurora at a time like this? The last encounter with her had been bad enough, and Isabella was still reeling from it. And now, to her bad luck, she had to face her again.

Misfortune really does come in pairs, Isabella thought grimly. Just a few days ago, Clyce had tormented her, and now she had to deal with her school rival Aurora. Her luck recently had been downright awful.

Lifting her head, Isabella forced a smile. "There’s no rule saying seniors can’t take a stroll after school, is there?"

Aurora’s face turned pale, then flushed with anger. "But any student with a real sense of urgency wouldn’t be wasting time like you are," she sneered. Aurora still hadn’t gotten over how Isabella had unintentionally outshone her during class the other day, and today she was eager to settle the score.

"I’m only aiming to graduate high school," Isabella shrugged casually, deliberately trying to provoke Aurora.

Why should she care about college? After all, she had already earned a degree from MIT years ago. What did she have to prove by competing for a spot in a university?

Tucking a few stray locks of hair behind her ear, Isabella allowed a small, smug smile to cross her lips.

Aurora’s expression was priceless. Her face alternated between pale and flushed as she bit down on her lip, clearly infuriated. She must be wishing she could tear Isabella to pieces at this very moment.

The tiny Chihuahua in Aurora’s arms remained blissfully unaware of its owner’s rage. It curiously pawed at the large pocket of her jacket, its little paws searching for something inside.

Aurora felt the dog’s movements and flushed slightly. "Stop playing with my pocket, Gigi," she chided, reaching into her pocket to pull the dog’s paw out, inadvertently dislodging a piece of paper.

The piece of paper fluttered to the ground, obeying the laws of gravity.

"You dropped something," Isabella said, pointing to the paper before bending down to pick it up.

Aurora’s face turned ashen. She quickly set the dog down and panicked. "No! Don’t pick it up!" If Isabella saw what was on that paper, it would be disastrous.

Isabella’s eyes narrowed, a curious glint flashing in them. Before Aurora’s outburst, she hadn’t been particularly interested. But now, her curiosity was piqued. What was on that paper that Aurora didn’t want her to see?

Judging by Aurora’s anxious expression, there must be something embarrassing or incriminating written on it.

"Give it back!" Aurora lunged forward, trying to snatch the paper from Isabella’s hand.

"Hold on, hold on. Let me take a look first," Isabella teased, dodging Aurora’s clumsy grab with ease, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

Aurora had spent so long bullying and tormenting her—this was the perfect opportunity to return the favor!

"‘The Mysterious Pandora’s Box’..." Isabella read aloud, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. That name sounded oddly familiar...

It was clearly a ticket for some kind of event, but what kind of event was it? The name rang a bell, but she couldn’t quite place it.